


tie a ribbon 'round my finger (to remind me i'm yours)

by MusicalLuna



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anniversary, Apologies, Bad boyfriend Steve Rogers, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, Fluff and Angst, Good Boyfriend Tony Stark, M/M, Not Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Two Compliant, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Romantic Tony Stark, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-12
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-10-25 20:26:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10771803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalLuna/pseuds/MusicalLuna
Summary: Steve has forgotten something important and he's not sure he's going to figure it out on time.





	tie a ribbon 'round my finger (to remind me i'm yours)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nightwalker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightwalker/gifts), [InsaneJuliann](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneJuliann/gifts).



> onemuseleft asked:  
> I spent eight hours at work doing key inventory and came home so exhausted I passed out fully dressed for four hours. I'd kill for fic. Maybe a fic where Steve realizes he and Tony have been together almost a year now and he suddenly realizes he has no idea when their anniversary is?

Steve is watching Tony give a press conference on the TV, admiring how put together he looks, particularly in the wool overcoat he’s wearing. His nose and cheeks are flushed and Steve’s pretty sure he could look and look and look all day and never get tired of the sight.

“That is the sappiest face I have ever seen a human person make,” Clint declares from the doorway.

Steve hardly ever flinches anymore when the others tease them. He loves Tony, he doesn’t care who knows it or what gave it away. “That’s just because you can’t see yourself looking at Lucky.”

“Ooh, you cut me deep, Cap,” he replies, but Steve can hear him grinning. He flops down on the couch and offers Steve the sleeve of Girl Scout cookies in his hand. Steve glances at them, realizes they’re Tony’s Samosas and takes two.

“Tony’s going to kill you when he finds out you ate these.”

Clint shrugs. “Month or so and he’ll be able to buy more.”

“A month is a long time to deprive Tony of Samosas.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him it was you then.”

Steve grins. “He’ll never believe you.”

Clint sighs. “That’s probably true. What day’s your anniversary, anyway? I need to make sure I’m anywhere but here that night.”

Steve opens his mouth to respond and nothing comes out. He draws a blank. He furrows his brow and thinks about it, hard, skims through his memories. Still nothing.

He doesn’t realize how long it’s been until Clint sits upright next to him and twists around, eyes wide. “You don’t know?”

“I know!” Steve protests automatically, but his heart is starting to beat a rapid tattoo against his breastbone, cold sweat breaking out under his arms. Doesn’t he? Oh, god.

“Okay, didn’t call that one,” Clint says. “I totally thought Tony would be the anniversary forgetter. Wow.”

Steve wracks his brain, but he can’t come up with a date. He should have written it down. He should have, he should have—

It was—it can’t have been in December, he would have remembered if it happened around Christmas, right? So it must have been January, if they did something last year for Valentine’s Day, and Steve feels like that’s right, although right now he’s blanking on that, too.

Oh, god.

Tony had playfully mentioned it when they had their six month anniversary and they’d had really, fantastically good sex in celebration, what day had that been?

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” he groans, burying his head in his hands. “Clint, what am I going to do?”

“Well, I think that’s kind of obvious, Cap, you’re gonna play detective and figure out when the hell it is, hopefully before it happens.”

“You remember we went out on Valentine’s Day, but not our first date?” Steve snaps and Clint frowns at him.

“Hey, he’s not my boyfriend.”

Steve grimaces. “I know. You’re right, god, I’m sorry. I’m just—”

“Wigging out.”

“I have to go. I have to go—figure this out.”

“Yeah, Cap,” Clint says, watching over the back of the couch as he beats it, “you do that.”

~ * ~

The first thing Steve does when he gets his wits about him again is ask JARVIS, pacing anxiously at the foot of their bed.

“I do, sir,” JARVIS replies.

Steve almost collapses of relief. “When? What day?”

JARVIS hesitates and Steve’s relief curdles.

“Today, sir.”

Steve glances at his watch, hoping like hell that it’s earlier than it feels, that he can still scramble out there and get something, anything, but it betrays him.

6:43.

Steve’s heart sinks.

And then, because he deserves this, for being so thoughtless, the bedroom door opens.

Tony steps inside, head down. He’s still wearing that overcoat. It almost hides the slump of his shoulders, but not quite, and Steve feels like the most wretched person on earth.

Then Tony looks up and sees him standing there like an idiot and his eyes widen a little. “Oh, hi, honey.” Steve can see the hope bloom inside them and, dammit, he’s always letting Tony down, forgetting important dates and taking Tony for granted.

“I forgot,” he blurts, because he won’t lie, even if it would be easier for both of them. “I forgot it was our anniversary.”

Tony’s mouth opens and closes, disappointment and hurt flashing across his face before he shores up with a smile and says, “That’s okay. Shit happens.”

“No,” Steve says, a little louder than he intends to and Tony starts, looks back up at him. “Don’t do that,” Steve says, moving closer, “don’t. I know it’s important to you and that should make it important to me. Don’t let me off the hook when I’m an ass, Tony.”

“It’s just a day,” Tony says, waving a hand dismissively.

“It’s not.” Steve cups Tony’s face in his hands, even though he doesn’t deserve to do it right now, because he knows after something like this, Tony needs reassurance that he’s important to Steve, that their relationship _means_ something to him.

Steve curses himself again. It’s been a year, a whole year, he should be better at this by now.

Tony can’t quite meet his eyes. “Honestly, it’s not a big deal. We’re not teenagers, a year isn’t an accomplishment.”

“Maybe not for you,” Steve says and instantly regrets phrasing it that way when Tony jerks away from him like he’s been slapped. Steve grasps at his arms and hurries to say, “You’re good at relationships. You’ve always had steady, stable relationships. Sharon and I must have broken up and gotten back together a thousand times, and I—” God, he’s not proud of it, but he swallows his shame and says, “I was unfaithful. You know that. I’m not— I’m not good at this, and the last year has been incredible. The best of my life. You deserve more from me.”

Tony doesn’t look at him, but he allows Steve to take his hands.

“I’m sorry,” Steve says. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe how quickly the year went by and I didn’t think—” He stops himself because he’s making excuses. “I’m sorry,” he repeats. “You deserve better from me. I’m going to do better. I swear it, Tony. I won’t let this happen again. You’re the most important thing in my life and it’s criminal that I made you think otherwise.”

Tony sniffs, nose wrinkling up on one side, and says with careful casual affect, “Criminal, huh? Does Iron Man need to take you in?”

Steve lets out a strangled laugh. “If that’s what Tony thinks Iron Man should do. I messed up, and I’ll take whatever penance is given me.”

Finally, _finally_ , Tony looks at him, his eyes soft. “Tell me you love me.”

“I love you,” Steve replies instantly. “I love you, Tony, I’ve loved you since the day I met you, I was just too stupid to see it.”

Tony flushes and drops his eyes, steps a little closer. “Come on, now, you don’t have to embellish.”

“I’m not,” Steve tells him, curling a hand around the back of his neck, grateful that he’s being given the chance. “I have. Loving you is like breathing. It’s so natural sometimes I forget how bad I need it.”

Tony hides his face in Steve’s neck, a soft huff of amusement warming his collarbones. “You’re a hell of a romantic when you feel guilty.”

Steve’s face heats up like a frying pan. “I’m sorry that’s what it takes to bring it out.”

“Enough apologies. It’s our anniversary. You’re forgiven.”

Steve squeezes him tight, presses a kiss to the side of his head. “Thank you. I'm—”

“Ah!”

Steve closes his mouth.

He feels Tony’s smile against his throat. “So, I, uh, made reservations for dinner, if you want to go.”

Steve sighs, lets his head droop onto Tony’s shoulder. “You expected me to be a callous idiot.”

“Well, I know you well enough at this point to know you’re not _exactly_ the romantic type.”

Steve groans.

Tony laughs and scratches his nails over Steve’s scalp. It makes his knees a little weak. “I know it’s not your thing, but if you want to—”

Steve pulls back to look him in the eye and brushes his thumb across Tony’s cheekbone, his stomach twisting at the fine lines that have crinkled up around his eyes with his smile. “Anything. Anything you want to do, Tony, as long as I’m with you.”

Tony’s smile widens into a grin. “Oh, _anything?_ ”

Steve knows that glint in his eye and he almost takes it back. Then he slaps himself upside the head and says firmly, “Yes. Anything.”

~ * ~

He has to admit, waking up to the sight of snow falling outside the window over the curve of Tony’s naked shoulder in the Swiss alps _is_ awfully romantic.

Still, he has a lot of making up to do, so he kisses the jut of Tony’s shoulder blade and starts working his way down.


End file.
